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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · current · saw · calf · wake · patient · club · fine

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. fork — in a road
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wake — a trail
  23. current — of water
  24. fine — a penalty

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