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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: object · saw · track · dip · current · wind · pit · band

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. object — an aim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. current — happening now
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pit — a hole
  10. object — to protest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a music group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. object — a thing
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. track — to keep track
  24. band — a ring

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