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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: swing · temple · pop · tube · current · jam · bound · cap

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — electric
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — obliged
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. current — happening now
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — music
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tube — the underground

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