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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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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: ground · sharp · staff · fork · content · row · current · firm

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. staff — employees
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — a line
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. content — happy
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fork — to eat with

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