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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. game — a match
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tube — the underground
  17. foot — a measure
  18. snap — to click
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. foot — part of the body

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