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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: nail · current · jam · court · mug · bat · dip · cap

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — electric
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — a cup
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — a hat
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. cap — a lid
  21. current — happening now
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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