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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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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: safe · rush · mug · current · land · field · fork · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. land — to come down
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — a subject
  10. land — ground
  11. rush — hurry
  12. field — farmland
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — a cup
  20. field — for sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — to rob
  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