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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: can · pop · track · ground · spell · calf · capital · current

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — of water
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — the earth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — money
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — happening now
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. track — a path
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — a short time
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — electric
  23. ground — a position
  24. capital — a city

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