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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — electric
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — a group
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. bank — of a river
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. club — for golf
  21. season — in sport
  22. degree — temperature
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stand — for spectators

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