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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: pit · game · lie · season · jam · degree · current · dip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. game — a match
  3. current — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. degree — an amount
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — electric
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to dunk

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