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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 116 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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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: squash · ground · band · rest · current · rush · fork · staff

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. band — a ring
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — to crush
  12. staff — employees
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ground — crushed
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — the sport
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — happening now
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — a position

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