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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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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: ground · rush · prune · file · wake · degree · patient · mug

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. degree — from a university
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ground — crushed
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — hurry

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