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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 120 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: pit · current · cabinet · lie · pop · fork · march · lash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — ministers

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