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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: fine · calf · net · degree · prune · pitcher · file · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a line of people
  15. net — after costs
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — from a university
  24. file — a document

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