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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 120 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: snap · board · rush · mark · track · bound · key · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. board — a committee
  8. snap — to click
  9. current — happening now
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. key — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — hurry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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