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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.

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: pop · pound · spell · degree · object · wake · prune · kick

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. spell — letters
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. pound — a weight
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. object — to protest
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — in football
  24. wake — a trail

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