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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: game · pit · branch · rash · bore · fork · current · lie

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — a match
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — electric
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pit — in a race
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. game — wild animals
  24. current — happening now

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