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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 · saw · firm · court · leaves · march · shower · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. march — the month
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. court — of a king
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — decided
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. shower — to wash
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. shower — rain
  22. court — for sport
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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