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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — the fruit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — all right
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to sink
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. club — for golf
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — a group

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