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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: prune · can · present · degree · bass · rock · hand · rest

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — help
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. can — a tin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — the time now
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — a gift
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — there

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