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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: game · jam · season · tear · dip · stand · net · current

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. current — electric
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. net — for catching
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to sink
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. net — after costs
  15. current — of water
  16. tear — to rip
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — in sport
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. season — of the year

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