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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: cabinet · current · cold · squash · racket · march · jam · toast

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. current — electric
  5. cold — an illness
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. march — the month
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — of water
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. cold — not warm

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