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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: current · last · club · hand · fork · dip · pound · bore

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — a weight
  5. club — for dancing
  6. last — final
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hand — help
  11. bore — to tire
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hand — in cards

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