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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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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 · track · pitcher · present · mug · ground · roll · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. current — of water
  12. present — there
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. roll — a list
  16. mug — to rob
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a path
  19. roll — a cake
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — the earth
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. track — a song
  24. present — the time 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