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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: current · sharp · season · foot · pop · bowl · key · snap

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. snap — to click
  4. key — in music
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — the most important part
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. foot — a measure
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — to visit

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