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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: bat · jam · rest · current · rush · content · stick · season

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bat — the animal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — a break
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — in sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. season — of the year
  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