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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 · bound · mate · band · file · jam · current · field

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. field — a subject
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mate — to breed
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. field — farmland
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mate — a partner
  17. file — a tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. bound — certain
  20. current — electric
  21. field — for sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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