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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: firm · coach · current · tube · hand · staff · club · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. hand — help
  3. firm — a company
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. staff — a stick
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — for dancing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — electric
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — for golf
  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