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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a signal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — for pool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. scale — in music
  19. kick — in football
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — all right
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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