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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: nail · leaves · row · degree · ground · mark · rush · date

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — from a university
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — hurry
  16. date — the fruit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. degree — an amount
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. nail — for a hammer

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