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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: stand · fall · current · jam · clip · fan · pass · racket

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fall — the season
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. current — happening now

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