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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · nail · safe · roll · current · spell · ball · degree

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. roll — a cake
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — electric
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. degree — an amount
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — happening now
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spell — magic
  23. roll — a list
  24. safe — a strongbox

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