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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: pop · straw · game · current · fine · face · pound · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. face — to confront
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pop — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pop — to visit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pop — soda
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fork — in a road
  21. game — a match
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. face — part of the head

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