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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
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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: saw · march · prune · mouse · rash · degree · safe · tube

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rash — a series
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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