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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · mate · toast · current · season · dip · degree

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — from a university
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. current — electric
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. degree — an amount
  12. toast — bread
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mate — a friend
  16. season — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — temperature
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — a sauce

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