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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: tear · current · bat · foot · file · key · can · track

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. track — a song
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — of water
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — to rip
  15. file — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — a path
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. current — happening now
  23. key — for a lock
  24. file — a document

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