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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a partner
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fall — the season
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. firm — decided
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. degree — temperature
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a ring
  16. firm — steady
  17. mate — to breed
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. band — a music group
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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