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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: season · bound · present · ground · current · rash · wave · fork

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — the time now
  4. rash — a series
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — a gift
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. season — in sport
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — crushed
  17. current — of water
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. present — there
  24. ground — the earth

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