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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — of law
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — child
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — to fit

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