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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: rash · fine · current · sharp · pit · pitcher · roll · rest

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. roll — a list
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — all right
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rash — a series
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — of water

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