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

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — electric
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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