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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — a company
  6. drill — army training
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. shower — rain
  15. firm — steady
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — decided
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. current — electric

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