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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: present · prune · bass · object · deal · degree · mouse · temple

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — low music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — to protest
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. object — an aim
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — the time now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — from a university
  21. present — there
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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