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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · sharp · firm · fall · rock · charge · snap · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — steady
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cue — a hint
  13. sharp — clever
  14. snap — to click
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — a company
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — a stone

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