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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — for sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cold — an illness
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — happening now
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — of water
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of law
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  24. safe — out of danger

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