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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
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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 · jam · can · game · squash · sharp · root · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a word
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. game — wild animals
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — happening now
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — to crush
  11. game — a match
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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