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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: racket · wound · pop · current · pound · sharp · stick · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wound — an injury
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — happening now
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spell — magic
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pop — soda
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. current — electric
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — music

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