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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: degree · march · swing · current · toast · face · fork · ruler

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fork — in a road
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. march — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. swing — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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