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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · bowl · band · ball · bay · cell · jam · current

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. band — a music group
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. current — electric
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a ring
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rash — a series

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