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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: spring · current · trunk · pit · pass · mark · fan · ball

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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