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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — the fruit

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