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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — to fit
  10. current — happening now
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — to grow

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