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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. present — the time now
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. present — a gift
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. present — there
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. degree — temperature

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