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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: bear · present · date · current · file · wake · track · roll

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. file — a line of people
  5. present — there
  6. track — a song
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — electric
  13. track — a path
  14. current — of water
  15. date — the fruit
  16. roll — a list
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — a gift
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. roll — a cake

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