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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: squash · hand · current · jam · court · bark · nail · rush

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bark — to shout
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — electric
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — the sport
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — hurry

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