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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: safe · track · pit · current · wound · fork · mouse · rock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — electric
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — happening now
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pit — a hole
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mouse — the animal

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