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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — electric
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — a series
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — hasty
  9. last — finally
  10. firm — a company
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. row — a line
  15. content — happy
  16. firm — steady
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — of water
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. last — to go on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. sharp — exactly

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