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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: current · deal · leaves · key · jam · shower · pitch · band

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. current — electric
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — happening now
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — completely
  23. current — of water
  24. jam — a tight spot

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