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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 · row · land · racket · fork · game · toast · temple

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. land — ground
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. row — a line
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — a match
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. toast — bread
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. game — wild animals
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — to paddle
  23. current — of water
  24. land — a country

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