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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — a trail
  24. suit — clothes

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