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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · track · current · scale · band · file · kid · object

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — a song
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. object — a thing
  10. kid — child
  11. file — a document
  12. object — an aim
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — in music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. band — a ring
  18. current — electric
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. current — of water
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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