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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. capital — a city
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — farmland

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