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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.

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: prune · nail · wound · degree · content · deal · temple · pop

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. degree — temperature
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. content — happy
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — the 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