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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: coach · jam · shower · cold · pit · face · object · current

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cold — not warm
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — to point toward
  9. object — to protest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — an aim
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. current — happening now
  18. cold — an illness
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. object — a thing
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pit — a hole
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. current — electric

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