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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 · fine · jam · race · march · squash · mug · date

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. current — happening now
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — of water
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. race — a contest
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — to crush
  23. current — electric
  24. race — humankind

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