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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · pound · clip · toast · fork · spring · mug · current

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. net — in sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pound — a weight
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. current — of water
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. spring — a coil
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. toast — bread
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — happening now
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mug — a face
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. clip — to cut

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