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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.

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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: deal · current · kick · present · bay · ground · wound · date

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. current — electric
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — a position
  14. kick — in football
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ground — crushed
  18. present — there
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. current — of water
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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