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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. firm — a company
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. firm — steady
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. plane — a tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bass — low music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. hand — help

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