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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — to rob
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mug — a face
  21. degree — from a university
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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