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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pass — a permit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a match
  7. capital — a city
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — electricity
  14. degree — temperature
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — from a university
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. charge — a price

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