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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: object · bound · pitcher · current · bank · track · spell · spring

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — the season
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — of water
  9. bank — of a river
  10. object — to protest
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — a thing
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a path
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — an aim
  24. bank — for money

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