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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a great time
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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