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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 120 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: track · ground · pop · branch · object · race · patient · current

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a path
  5. race — humankind
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. current — electric
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. race — a contest
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pop — soda
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. track — a song
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — crushed
  24. race — the arms race

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