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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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