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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: bear · net · spring · fork · shower · chip · current · band

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. band — a ring
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fork — in a road
  5. current — of water
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — to eat
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spring — the season

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