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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: staff · file · wax · current · chip · date · fork · spell

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a document
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. staff — employees
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spell — letters
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. chip — to eat

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