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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: wake · sharp · firm · current · content · charge · mouse · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — electric
  3. season — in sport
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — the amount
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — a company
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — electricity

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