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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: sharp · kid · stock · last · temple · pop · current · mouse

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — shares
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stock — goods
  10. kid — child
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kid — to tease
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — electric
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pop — music
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — of water

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