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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: bat · root · spell · track · content · current · bound · roll

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — a path
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. track — a song
  10. roll — a list
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — certain
  14. current — of water
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — tied together
  22. current — happening now
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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