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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 · cue · pit · kick · current · row · wound · field

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — farmland
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — a signal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — for sport
  12. cue — a hint
  13. current — of water
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. pit — in a race
  23. field — a subject
  24. wound — an injury

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