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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: rush · cabinet · jam · patient · track · snap · degree · pop

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pop — soda
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — a path
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pop — music
  17. degree — from a university
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — temperature

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