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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 · foot · fall · pop · jam · cap · ground · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ground — crushed
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ground — a position
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — of water
  20. fall — the season
  21. object — an aim
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cap — a hat

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