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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. degree — temperature
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — an amount
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. game — a match
  17. rock — music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. kick — in football
  22. mug — a face
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. game — wild animals

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