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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — there
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — the time now
  9. club — a group
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — an amount
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fine — high quality
  23. present — a gift
  24. club — for dancing

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