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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — an aim
  13. degree — an amount
  14. object — a thing
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a car

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