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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — a signal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pass — a permit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. degree — from a university
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. trunk — of a car
  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