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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. board — to get on
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cap — of ice
  7. club — a group
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — a committee
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — a contest
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. race — humankind
  24. club — for golf

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