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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: fan · track · current · pitcher · march · chair · net · mouse

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — after costs
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — electric
  11. march — the month
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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