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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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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: fan · prune · suit · nail · degree · race · pit · row

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — in cards
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. degree — an amount
  23. race — humankind
  24. suit — to fit

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