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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — temperature
  5. present — a gift
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — there
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitch — completely
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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