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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: bay · mug · current · fan · pitch · content · sharp · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. current — of water
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — the amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. content — happy
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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