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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — letters
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — a short time
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a trace
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. current — happening now
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — of water
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. charge — electricity

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