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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 · bowl · bound · land · current · pitch · mark · fan

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — electric
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — of water
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — certain
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — a country

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