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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: degree · fan · mark · current · tube · chip · jam · pop

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. degree — from a university
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — soda
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pop — music
  17. current — electric
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — in a computer

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