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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. prune — to trim
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — a cup
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pit — in a race

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