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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. prune — to trim
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stem — to come from
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bark — to shout
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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