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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: stick · charge · degree · prune · pound · wave · date · current

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — an amount
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — from a university
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — a price
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pound — a weight

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