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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. current — of water
  8. season — of the year
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — electric
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — the fish
  19. current — happening now
  20. game — wild animals
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a match
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. season — to add flavour

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