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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — from a university
  10. key — in music
  11. toast — bread
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. key — for a lock
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. firm — decided
  21. cell — a phone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. degree — an amount

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