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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 · present · jam · current · saw · squash · cap · mug

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — a face
  3. squash — the sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — a gift
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — of water
  15. mug — to rob
  16. present — there
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — electric
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — happening now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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