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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: cap · mark · mine · degree · fan · ruler · prune · chip

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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