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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: saw · current · land · mark · fork · track · march · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. land — ground
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. current — of water
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. march — music
  14. track — a song
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. land — to come down
  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