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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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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: snap · current · tube · racket · wind · game · safe · track

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to click
  4. current — happening now
  5. tube — the underground
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — electric
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a match
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a song
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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