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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — temperature
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — a song
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — in sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — to keep track

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