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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: track · current · leaves · spell · press · ball · nail · cap

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. press — a publisher
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — a hat
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ball — a great time
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — to push
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — a song
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — a path
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — magic
  23. current — electric
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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