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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · current · jam · board · rash · kick · cell · game

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. board — a committee
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kick — in football
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. current — happening now
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — of water
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — hasty
  20. content — happy
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cell — a phone
  23. current — electric
  24. game — a kind of play

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