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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: ground · prune · coach · bulb · dip · current · track · drill

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — happening now
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — crushed
  15. drill — army training
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. dip — to sink
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. current — electric
  24. ground — a position

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