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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 · rush · snap · firm · game · stick · fork · calf

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — electric
  16. rush — hurry
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rush — a thrill

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