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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: row · current · fine · foot · spring · kid · squash · fork

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spring — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. spring — of water
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kid — child
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. current — electric
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — all right
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. row — a line
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. current — of water
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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