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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: rock · foot · jam · game · pass · prune · mate · degree

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. prune — to trim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. degree — an amount
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a match
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pass — a permit
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rock — a 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