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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 116 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: deal · spring · calf · prune · ruler · rush · march · degree

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. degree — temperature
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spring — a coil
  14. march — the month
  15. spring — the season
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. degree — an amount
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spring — of water

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