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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — happening now
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mine — for digging
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. current — electric
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — ground
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. last — finally
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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