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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: object · hand · trunk · cap · fine · bear · fork · current

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. object — to protest
  9. current — of water
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fine — high quality
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — help
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — electric
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bear — the animal
  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