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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · deal · court · current · cold · wave · land · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. land — to come down
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. land — a country
  5. court — of law
  6. cold — not warm
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. court — of a king
  10. object — a thing
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — electric
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. jam — in traffic

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