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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · sharp · wave · current · rest · tear · march · racket

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — electric
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — clever
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rest — a break
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — from crying
  22. march — music
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — to rip

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