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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: degree · march · bay · tear · prune · can · row · rest

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — to paddle
  4. degree — an amount
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. degree — temperature
  11. march — the month
  12. can — to be able to
  13. march — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tear — from crying
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. tear — from crying

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