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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. track — a song
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — of water
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — crushed
  20. current — electric
  21. ground — a position
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bank — for money

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