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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — happening now
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mine — for digging
  13. band — a music group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. charge — in control
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. prune — the fruit

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