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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — magic
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. sharp — clever

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