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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 116 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: current · rash · track · hand · spell · ball · bound · prune

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — of water
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. spell — a short time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. current — electric
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — letters
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — certain
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — a path

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