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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. degree — an amount
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — from a university
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — in a road
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — for golf
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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