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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 120 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 · track · drill · prune · present · bank · degree

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — the time now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — temperature
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — of a river

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