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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 116 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 · branch · hand · current · mark · court · content · cue

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a trace
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — help
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — happening now
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of law
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. current — of water
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — for sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. branch — a division

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