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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: degree · cabinet · root · prune · club · fan · deal · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — the cause
  6. degree — an amount
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — temperature
  12. date — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for dancing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for golf
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — of a word

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