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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
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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: cue · current · fan · prune · court · mine · rash · plane

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of a king
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — for digging
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — happening now
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — of law
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. cue — a hint
  24. court — for sport

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