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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. degree — an amount
  3. charge — in control
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. club — for golf
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. club — a group
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — to trim

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