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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · rest · court · swing · tube · jam · cabinet · dip

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. court — of law
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — for sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to sink
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — to dunk

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