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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: squash · wave · land · current · suit · sharp · foot · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fork — in a road
  11. land — to come down
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. squash — the sport
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. squash — to crush
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — to fit
  24. sharp — clever

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