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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — clever
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pop — soda
  24. pound — to hit hard

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