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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 124 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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. degree — temperature
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pit — a hole
  13. land — to come down
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. prune — to trim

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