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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: bark · rock · stand · rash · track · ground · current · file

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — happening now
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — a position
  23. file — a tool
  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