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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. season — of the year
  6. rule — government
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. rule — a law
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — a part of something

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