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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — for dancing
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — the fish

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