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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. scale — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. net — after costs
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — for catching

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