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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — in football
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. degree — an amount
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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