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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: row · charge · bank · firm · last · pop · kid · sharp

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. pop — to visit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. kid — child
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. firm — decided
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — soda
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. row — a line
  21. kid — to tease
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  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