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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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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: last · field · prune · jam · suit · degree · board · fine

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. board — a committee
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. degree — temperature
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — clothes
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. field — farmland
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fine — all right
  16. suit — in cards
  17. field — for sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. field — a subject
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. last — final
  24. degree — an amount

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