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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: jam · chair · current · court · mark · arm · bore · can

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mark — a trace
  6. current — happening now
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mark — a grade
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — electric
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. can — a tin

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