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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. season — of the year
  10. degree — temperature
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mark — a grade
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — the tool
  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