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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: jam · mine · fan · pitch · current · date · foot · temple

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — completely
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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