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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: nail · club · degree · prune · bank · mate · current · jam

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — happening now
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. club — a group
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — temperature
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  24. nail — for a hammer

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