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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — for pool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fan — a supporter

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