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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: fork · track · wind · squash · current · stock · net · patient

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. current — electric
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — in sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stock — goods
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. track — a path
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — after costs
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — a song
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — of water

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