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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: current · board · date · fork · stock · dip · saw · field

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. date — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a committee
  13. field — farmland
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — electric
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. field — a subject
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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