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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: foot · season · current · ground · fan · cue · fork · pitch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. current — of water
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ground — a position
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitch — completely
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — for pool

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