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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 120 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: firm · press · bore · cue · degree · mark · nail · prune

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. firm — steady
  6. bore — to drill
  7. press — to push
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bore — to tire
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a hint
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. firm — decided
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cue — a signal

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