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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · jam · fan · racket · lie · arm · date · trunk

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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