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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: jam · straw · current · degree · rock · hand · mate · key

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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 — electric
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hand — help
  7. current — happening now
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. key — for a lock
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — in cards
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — an amount
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — music
  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