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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: can · current · wake · object · kid · date · track · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. can — to be able to
  8. track — a path
  9. object — an aim
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. kid — child
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. can — a tin
  17. date — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — a friend
  24. current — electric

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