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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · safe · fork · rush · fan · stock · current · racket

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. current — electric
  8. stock — goods
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — of water
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — to add flavour

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