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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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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: current · chip · bowl · bear · race · season · row · fork

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. season — in sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. current — happening now
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. current — electric
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. race — a contest
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. season — of the year
  21. row — a line
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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