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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: cap · track · spell · wake · current · bear · spring · ball

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spring — the season
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. track — a song
  24. ball — a round shape

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