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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — hurry

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