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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · prune · land · rock · fine · craft

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. fine — a penalty
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. craft — boats
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — a stone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — an amount
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rock — music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. craft — a handicraft

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