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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · roll · current · sharp · mine · prune · pitch · can

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. last — finally
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitch — completely
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — final
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — a list
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. last — to go on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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