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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: lean · current · rush · bulb · capital · track · racket · rash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — thin
  4. rush — hurry
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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