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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: object · mine · track · current · jam · safe · saw · key

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. current — electric
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. object — to protest
  9. key — the most important part
  10. object — an aim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — in music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — a song
  17. object — a thing
  18. current — of water
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. current — happening now
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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