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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: pitcher · prune · ball · net · file · degree · kick · row

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ball — a dance
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. row — a line
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. file — a document
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. file — a tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — a thrill

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