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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 120 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 · pound · leaves · sharp · current · drill · row · stick

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pound — a weight
  16. current — happening now
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cue — a hint

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