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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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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: roll · current · dip · fine · staff · stick · fork · toast

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — of water
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. roll — a list
  7. staff — employees
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — all right
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. current — electric
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fine — high quality
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — bread
  20. fork — in a road
  21. staff — a stick
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — to eat with

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