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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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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: cabinet · trunk · kid · board · jam · scale · sharp · current

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — to get on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — child
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kid — to tease
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. board — a committee

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