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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — in a road
  3. current — of water
  4. land — ground
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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