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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 · wake · leaves · swing · hand · fine · mug · track

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. track — a song
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mug — a cup
  12. swing — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — help
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — happening now
  24. wake — a trail

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