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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — a committee
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — hasty
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. degree — an amount
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. degree — from a university

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