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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the fish
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. face — to confront
  9. staff — a stick
  10. face — to point toward
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bass — low music
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — a division
  19. mug — a face
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — employees
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. face — part of the head

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