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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: sharp · leaves · content · field · current · stick · track · rule

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — clever
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. field — for sport
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — a law
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — happening now
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. rule — government

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