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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 · current · mouse · date · prune · wave · coach · season

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — electric
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. current — of water
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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