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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: racket · jam · fork · club · stem · current · band · charge

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. current — happening now
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. charge — a price
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — in control

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