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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
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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: sharp · plane · pitcher · track · cap · current · spell · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a path
  8. current — happening now
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — of water
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. track — a song
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — electric
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — clever

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