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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: mug · drill · spell · pound · current · fork · land · craft

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — a practice
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — boats
  17. land — a country
  18. craft — a skill
  19. land — ground
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mug — a face
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. land — to come down

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