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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: mark · clip · degree · rock · arm · patient · prune · net

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. degree — temperature
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. net — for catching
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. net — after costs
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rock — music

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