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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: current · bank · rest · bark · court · fork · date · rock

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bank — of a river
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — of a king
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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