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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · hand · prune · key · bear · rock · pop · degree

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pop — music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — help
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — music
  24. degree — temperature

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