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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — to keep track
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. file — a document
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. track — a path
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — to shout
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a song
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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