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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — happening now
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — of water
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — the time now
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — certain
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. present — there

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