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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: date · nail · stem · straw · bore · capital · jam · current

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — of water
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — to drill
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bore — gave birth

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