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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. court — for sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of a king
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. row — to paddle
  21. court — of law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. trunk — of a tree

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