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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: cabinet · bulb · jam · spring · swing · sharp · current · calf

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — the season
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spring — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — music
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spring — a coil
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. current — happening now

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