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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: fork · nail · track · spell · bass · fan · safe · current

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — low music
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — a song
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. current — electric
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fan — a supporter

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