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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. court — for sport
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — of law

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