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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: current · pass · bowl · present · spell · stock · fork · land

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — happening now
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — the time now
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — electric
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — in a road
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. bowl — to roll

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