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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. degree — an amount
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. can — to be able to
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rule — a law
  20. current — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — electric
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. degree — from a university

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