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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — of water
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — happening now
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. track — a song
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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