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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fall — the season
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. present — a gift
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mug — a face
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — a break
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — low music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — in a road

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