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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: fine · pop · rock · bore · board · degree · prune · game

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — high quality
  3. degree — temperature
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. board — to get on
  7. pop — to visit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rock — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pop — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — a stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pop — soda
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — wild animals

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