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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — music
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — government
  16. degree — from a university
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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