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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: court · current · jam · staff · nail · face · bowl · stem

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. court — of a king
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — employees
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — of water
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stem — to come from
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — for sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — on a finger

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