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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: saw · march · staff · current · prune · track · bore · calf

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. current — of water
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bore — to drill
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. march — the month
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. staff — a stick
  24. current — electric

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