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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
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: degree · squash · calf · pound · spring · rock · prune · bulb

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The flowers bloom in 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. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pound — a weight
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — from a university
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spring — the season
  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