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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: face · cell · jam · cabinet · pit · current · kick · club

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — in biology
  3. club — for golf
  4. current — electric
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. club — a group
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — for dancing
  11. current — of water
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to confront
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — in football
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. current — happening now
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pit — in a race

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