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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: mate · roll · pound · pop · dip · sharp · rest · current

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — a break
  3. roll — a cake
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pop — music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. mate — to breed
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pop — to visit

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