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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: content · date · wake · suit · track · bulb · pitcher · current

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. content — happy
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — a song
  13. current — electric
  14. suit — clothes
  15. track — to keep track
  16. current — of water
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. wake — a trail

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