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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: tear · ground · sharp · fork · perch · rush · foot · current

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — in a road
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — crushed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ground — a position
  17. current — electric
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — hurry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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