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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. land — to come down
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bound — certain
  10. march — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — tied together
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — the amount

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