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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: fork · leaves · degree · tear · current · pop · rock · prune

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — of water
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — in a road
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. degree — an amount
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fork — to eat with

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