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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · racket · prune · file · field · season · degree · club

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. field — farmland
  5. file — a line of people
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — an amount
  12. field — a subject
  13. file — a tool
  14. degree — from a university
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — a grade
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. field — for sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. prune — to trim

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