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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. scale — size or range
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. present — there
  9. cue — a hint
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a signal
  22. present — a gift
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — for weighing

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