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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: ground · bank · current · kick · chip · pit · fork · ball

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — in a race
  3. current — of water
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — for betting
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ground — a position

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