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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: mine · craft · fork · track · current · suit · ground · perch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ground — a position
  3. track — to keep track
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — a path
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ground — crushed
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — to fit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — in cards

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