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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. degree — an amount
  4. object — an aim
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kid — to tease
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — a thing
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. object — to protest
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kid — child
  17. degree — from a university
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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