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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — a series
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — a group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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