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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · pound · current · rush · date · track · stick · mug

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. date — the fruit
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — a weight
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kid — child
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. current — of water
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mug — a face

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