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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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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. court — of a king
  11. branch — a division
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — for golf
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hand — help
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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