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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 · court · deal · fork · bulb · snap · racket · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fork — to eat with

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