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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: firm · jam · spring · land · rock · current · stand · calf

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — music
  7. firm — a company
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. stand — to bear
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — of water
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. land — to come down

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