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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: firm · sharp · rush · current · kid · mine · stock · ground

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kid — child
  4. firm — decided
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ground — crushed
  10. firm — a company
  11. current — of water
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — happening now
  14. stock — shares
  15. kid — to tease
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — a position
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — steady
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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