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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 120 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: ruler · prune · racket · bound · march · degree · bay · stand

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bound — tied together
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — certain
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. march — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — temperature
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — to trim
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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