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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · current · degree · row · tear · land · jam · plane

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. season — of the year
  2. degree — temperature
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tear — from crying
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. land — a country
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tear — to rip
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. land — to come down
  18. season — in sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. degree — from a university
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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