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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — a trail
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cabinet — ministers

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