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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. firm — steady
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cold — an illness
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. firm — decided
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. firm — a company
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. cold — not warm
  24. prune — to trim

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