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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · current · can · spring · fine · fork · field · sharp

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — of water
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — electric
  10. sharp — clever
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. field — farmland
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — the season
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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