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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: suit · leaves · degree · prune · nail · bark · present · jam

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — there
  3. suit — to fit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. degree — temperature
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — a gift
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — the time now
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. degree — from a university
  24. leaves — of a tree

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