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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: pop · fork · safe · current · foot · wound · court · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pop — soda
  18. court — of a king
  19. current — electric
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fork — a garden tool

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