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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: current · deal · season · band · firm · date · mug · jam

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — happening now
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — a company
  10. date — the fruit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — to handle
  16. current — electric
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. season — in sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — of water
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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