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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: rule · current · content · wave · tube · jam · bat · coach

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rule — government
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — happening now
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. current — electric
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. current — of water
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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