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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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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 · deal · track · present · last · current · club · perch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — a song
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — of water
  17. club — a group
  18. last — final
  19. perch — the fish
  20. current — happening now
  21. present — the time now
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for dancing

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