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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 · spring · stick · sharp · pound · racket · bulb · press

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. press — to push
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spring — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — a weight
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — a publisher

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