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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 116 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: degree · pitcher · prune · band · cap · hide · mate · mark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a music group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cap — of ice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — an amount
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — the fruit

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