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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
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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: rock · fork · toast · current · fine · arm · game · cold

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fine — all right
  17. cold — an illness
  18. current — of water
  19. fine — high quality
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — wild animals
  23. current — electric
  24. rock — to move gently

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