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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: deal · land · shower · cap · current · bear · fork · mark

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. current — happening now
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — a country
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. current — of water
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — rain
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. current — electric
  24. land — to come down

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