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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · degree · pit · prune · charge · rest · season · leaves

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — a break
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a hole
  13. season — in sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pit — in a race
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — of the year
  22. degree — temperature
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. degree — an amount

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