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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 120 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: tube · track · club · current · degree · fork · key · charge

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — in music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — of water
  8. key — for a lock
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. fork — in a road
  16. current — electric
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — a price

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