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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: current · dip · fork · pop · ground · cap · face · rest

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — a position
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — a lid
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. face — to confront
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ground — crushed
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — in a road
  24. dip — to dunk

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