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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — size or range
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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