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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. club — for golf
  8. foot — a measure
  9. club — a group
  10. mug — a cup
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mug — a face
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mark — a grade
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. degree — from a university

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