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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: current · sharp · clip · mark · prune · stand · ground · track

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — clever
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. clip — a video
  18. prune — to trim
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a grade
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — a trace

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