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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — the fish
  8. board — a committee
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. degree — temperature
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — an amount
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a music group
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — the fruit

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