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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.

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: dip · board · patient · safe · perch · degree · fine · prune

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — the fish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — to get on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to sink
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — a committee

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