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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: deal · wake · mouse · field · track · rest · kick · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. track — a path
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. field — farmland
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — a song

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