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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 116 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 · land · rock · face · bore · fork · bass · current

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — to handle
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. land — a country
  13. current — of water
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. land — to come down
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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