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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. file — a document
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — a grade
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — on your feet

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