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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — clothes
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — in music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stand — to bear
  24. scale — size or range

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