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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — to trim
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — from a university
  18. track — a song
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mug — a cup
  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