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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: degree · suit · fork · current · pound · nail · prune · fall

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. current — electric
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fall — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. current — happening now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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