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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · spell · spring · drill · track · content · foot · squash

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. foot — a measure
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — the tool
  15. content — happy
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spell — a short time
  21. content — the amount
  22. charge — in control
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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