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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pit — in a race
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. degree — from a university
  10. season — in sport
  11. pit — a hole
  12. degree — an amount
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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