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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — happy
  9. row — a line
  10. degree — an amount
  11. row — to paddle
  12. degree — from a university
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — the amount
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mug — a face
  24. pass — to succeed

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