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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 · wind · rock · squash · dip · march · current · shower

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. current — of water
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rock — a stone
  11. shower — to wash
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — to crush
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — to sink
  21. current — electric
  22. march — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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