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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: file · racket · track · spring · field · toast · current · rock

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. toast — bread
  10. spring — the season
  11. field — a subject
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a path
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a line of people
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. track — to keep track
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — a song

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