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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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468
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 · staff · degree · deal · file · stand · nail · row

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. file — a document
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — temperature
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — an amount
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. deal — to handle

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