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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: deal · stem · degree · current · foot · jam · mark · charge

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — electricity
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — temperature
  17. current — of water
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stem — to come from
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. deal — a big deal

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