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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
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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: patient · degree · rash · mouse · fan · fine · rule · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — all right
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rash — a series
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — high quality
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rash — hasty
  21. degree — from a university
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — for a computer

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