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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: current · staff · ruler · ground · arm · sharp · date · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — a position
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. date — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — clever
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — the earth
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — a part of something

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