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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.

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: fan · current · spring · court · mine · squash · wake · racket

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spring — of water
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — of a king
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — of water
  16. wake — a trail
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. current — electric
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — of law
  24. mine — belonging to me

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