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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: row · roll · fine · toast · degree · spring · prune · fall

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. roll — a list
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fall — to drop
  9. degree — from a university
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fine — high quality
  13. degree — temperature
  14. prune — to trim
  15. row — a line
  16. fine — all right
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. toast — bread
  22. roll — a cake
  23. row — to paddle
  24. spring — of water

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