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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: court · current · patient · rush · cap · leaves · jam · chest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cap — a hat
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — happening now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — a box
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. current — of water
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — of law
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — electric
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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