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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: wave · mug · board · spell · pitcher · track · pop · ground

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a song
  3. board — a committee
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — soda
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spell — letters
  23. mug — a face
  24. board — a flat piece

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