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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: track · current · wound · present · kid · can · key · plane

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — a song
  4. kid — child
  5. current — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — in music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a path
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. track — to keep track
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — there
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. present — a gift
  24. can — to be able to

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