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

Word bank: jam · land · firm · pop · season · sharp · straw · current

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. firm — a company
  3. current — happening now
  4. land — a country
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. season — in sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. current — electric
  13. season — of the year
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — of water
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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