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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: spell · clip · prune · scale · degree · bulb · calf · current

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — magic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — an amount
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — for paper
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. clip — a video
  23. spell — letters
  24. calf — a young animal

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