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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 120 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 · stick · sharp · foot · mine · spell · bay · current

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — happening now
  4. spell — magic
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. current — of water
  9. spell — letters
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — electric
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — for digging
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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