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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · stem · swing · can · wound · track · ball · current

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — to be able to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — to come from
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — to keep track
  13. current — of water
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a dance
  21. current — electric
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com