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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. object — a thing
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — happening now
  15. field — for sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. object — to protest
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. field — a subject
  20. wind — moving air
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — to rob
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. branch — of a bank

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