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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: cap · game · wound · deal · track · straw · current · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. game — a match
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. track — a song
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a lid
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — of ice
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — electric
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — an agreement

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