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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 120 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: fork · last · shower · current · mark · fine · ruler · row

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fine — high quality
  5. current — electric
  6. fork — in a road
  7. last — finally
  8. current — happening now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — rain
  12. current — of water
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. last — final
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. last — to go on

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