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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: fork · fan · track · bore · court · file · hand · dip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. court — of a king
  3. hand — in cards
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hand — help
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — of law
  17. track — a path
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. file — a tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — a supporter

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