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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 · chest · jam · sharp · can · object · coach · foot

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — to protest
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — an aim
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — of water
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — to be able to

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