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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: deal · cap · sharp · current · pound · row · hide · court

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a hat
  5. court — of law
  6. deal — to handle
  7. current — of water
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — a weight
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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