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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — in music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. row — a line
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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