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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: fork · firm · current · march · ball · rash · squash · key

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — decided
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — electric
  5. fork — in a road
  6. key — for a lock
  7. march — the month
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — steady
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — the sport
  22. current — of water
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a great time

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