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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: track · squash · game · drill · spell · bear · current · wake

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. drill — the tool
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. current — of water
  11. squash — to crush
  12. current — happening now
  13. game — a match
  14. spell — a short time
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — electric
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — the sport

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