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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. prune — to trim
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cue — for pool

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