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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 120 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: degree · season · press · fork · safe · bear · prune · bank

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. season — in sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — a publisher
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. degree — from a university
  23. press — to push
  24. prune — the fruit

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