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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 · cap · jam · deal · mark · race · pop · chest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — happening now
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — a box
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — soda
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — to handle
  24. jam — in traffic

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