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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: track · pop · current · ground · rock · rash · saw · fork

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. rash — hasty
  5. current — electric
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pop — to visit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — happening now
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — on the skin

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