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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: sharp · key · degree · firm · pass · prune

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — clever
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — from a university
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — the most important part
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. firm — decided
  18. pass — a permit

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