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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fine — high quality
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. current — happening now
  20. net — after costs
  21. current — electric
  22. mine — for digging
  23. degree — from a university
  24. net — for catching

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