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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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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 · chair · snap · fan · stand · degree · mug · kid

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kid — child
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — an amount
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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