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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rock — music
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — a stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — a group
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. club — for golf

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