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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: land · prune · leaves · pit · degree · present · deal · jam

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pit — in a race
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — ground
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. present — there
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. present — a gift
  18. degree — an amount
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — to come down
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  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