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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 116 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: fork · scale · ground · present · sharp · net · current · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — for catching
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — a position
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mark — a trace
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — the earth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. present — a gift
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. present — there
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. scale — in music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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