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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — electric
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stand — to bear

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