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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.

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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — of water
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — electric
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fork — in a road
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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