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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: racket · current · fan · straw · ball · track · rule · tube

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — a law
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a song
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. current — electric
  17. rule — government
  18. track — a path
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a round shape

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