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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: bowl · calf · kick · ball · file · jam · sharp · current

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — electric
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kick — in football
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — of water
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. file — a document
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. file — a line of people
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. file — a tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. current — happening now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — with a leg

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