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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pass — to succeed
  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