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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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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: present · root · jam · content · last · prune · pit · degree

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — there
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. root — of a word
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. root — of a plant
  9. last — final
  10. content — happy
  11. last — to go on
  12. present — the time now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a hole
  19. last — finally
  20. root — the cause
  21. degree — from a university
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — a gift

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