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

Word bank: prune · degree · snap · pit · leaves · pitcher · squash · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — temperature
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — in a race
  14. degree — from a university
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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