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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. present — the time now
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — clothes
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. suit — to fit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — in cards
  17. band — a music group
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. band — a ring
  24. prune — to trim

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