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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — an amount
  5. club — a group
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — for golf
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bank — for money

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