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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · degree · present · dip · current · fork · toast · wound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. dip — to sink
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. current — happening now
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — of water
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. current — electric
  20. present — a gift
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. season — in sport

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