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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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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: fork · spring · current · arm · fine · key · sharp · track

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — in music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — the season
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — of water
  18. track — to keep track
  19. sharp — clever
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — happening now

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