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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: jam · coach · season · fine · saw · bowl · leaves · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. season — of the year

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