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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: cue · saw · board · capital · dip · track · current · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — a hint
  3. dip — to sink
  4. current — electric
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — a committee
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — a path
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — money
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — to keep track
  24. current — happening now

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