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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
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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: net · scale · stem · rash · degree · prune · saw · ruler

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. degree — temperature
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rash — hasty
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — in sport
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — size or range

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