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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: pop · current · band · club · bark · sharp · staff · leaves

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pop — music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. staff — employees
  13. bark — to shout
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a music group
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — to visit
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. current — electric
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — soda

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