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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: leaves · cell · bear · file · track · degree · current · season

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. current — electric
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — a path
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cell — a phone
  15. season — in sport
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. degree — an amount

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