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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 · bank · foot · degree · squash · prune · mate · current

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bank — of a river
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. mate — to breed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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