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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: degree · track · drill · firm · cabinet · foot · prune · current

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. drill — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — a measure
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. drill — a practice
  12. track — a path
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. firm — a company
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. drill — army training
  23. degree — from a university
  24. firm — decided

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