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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: degree · date · fork · mug · prune · stand · leaves · wind

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. degree — from a university
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — in a road
  11. degree — temperature
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — an amount
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fork — to eat with

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