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

Word bank: cap · mark · fork · degree · cabinet · kid · prune · rock

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — a trace
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kid — to tease
  24. degree — from a university

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