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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: current · trunk · jam · board · patient · pop · wave · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a committee
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pop — music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — of water
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — with your hand

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