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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — the season
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — for golf
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. club — a group

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