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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: jam · current · straw · degree · rest · season · present · spring

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — of the year
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — of water
  14. present — there
  15. degree — temperature
  16. spring — the season
  17. season — in sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. present — the time now
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — electric

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