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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: current · wind · pound · game · calf · bear · fall · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — happening now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fine — all right
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fall — the season
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fine — high quality

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