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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 · swing · rest · bark · sharp · roll · current · bay

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. track — a song
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — to keep track
  12. roll — a list
  13. current — happening now
  14. rest — a break
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bark — to shout
  20. swing — music
  21. track — a path
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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