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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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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: mug · net · rest · degree · key · prune · fall · saw

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. rest — a break
  20. mug — a face
  21. net — after costs
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — an amount

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