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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: current · track · kid · last · face · perch · tube · charge

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tube — a container
  3. kid — child
  4. tube — the underground
  5. charge — a price
  6. perch — the fish
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. current — happening now
  11. kid — to tease
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — of water
  14. face — to confront
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. current — electric
  21. charge — in control
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. face — part of the head
  24. track — a path

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