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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: row · squash · prune · cabinet · pit · bound · toast · degree

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — to crush
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bound — tied together
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — obliged
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — certain
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. degree — from a university
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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