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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bass — low music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — electric
  5. fine — all right
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the fish
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — high quality
  12. court — of law
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. current — of water
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — of a king
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bass — the instrument

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