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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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468
Word bank
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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — in a road
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. degree — from a university
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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