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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. staff — employees
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rest — a break
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — temperature
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. suit — clothes
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — from a university
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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