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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a trace
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lean — thin
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — in a road

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