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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: wake · firm · court · prune · cabinet · fan · snap · track

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. court — of law
  3. track — a path
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. firm — steady
  9. court — for sport
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — a trail
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wake — before a funeral

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