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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: firm · row · march · fork · toast · snap · chip · current

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. firm — decided
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. march — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — steady
  12. snap — to click
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — the month
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — for betting
  18. row — a line
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. firm — a company
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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