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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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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: fall · pitch · current · race · temple · mouse · bass · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. current — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fall — to drop
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fall — the season

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