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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: date · bulb · mouse · firm · scale · degree · prune · staff

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — a stick
  3. scale — size or range
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. scale — in music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — decided
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. degree — temperature
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. firm — a company
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. firm — steady
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — from a university

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