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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — there
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — the time now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — a gift
  24. plane — in geometry

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