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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: current · kid · pop · season · mouse · sharp · wake · cabinet

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. current — electric
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — of the year
  8. pop — soda
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. kid — child
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — of water
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. current — happening now

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