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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: sharp · cabinet · net · shower · rock · bay · current · deal

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — clever
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — of water
  9. net — for catching
  10. shower — rain
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — electric
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — happening now
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — after costs

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