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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. firm — a company
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. degree — an amount
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  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