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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: fork · jam · lean · shower · current · firm · degree · can

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. current — of water
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. current — electric
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — to be able to
  20. degree — temperature
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — rain
  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