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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · trunk · degree · coach · present · bay · current · content

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — happy
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — the time now
  11. content — the amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. current — of water
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — happening now
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — from a university
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. degree — an amount
  22. present — there
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. coach — a trainer

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