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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. current — happening now
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — high quality
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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