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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 · lean · rush · ground · suit · land · prune · mouse

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lean — thin
  3. degree — from a university
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — the earth
  19. land — ground
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to rest against

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