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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 · stand · wound · march · pass · current · chip · bulb

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — to eat
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bulb — for light

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