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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · mark · file · pit · degree · mug · prune · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. file — a document
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — an amount
  7. file — a tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — in a race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — a trace
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — a partner
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — to rob

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