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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — in a road
  5. firm — steady
  6. spring — of water
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — happening now
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a match
  18. toast — bread
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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