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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — after costs
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. net — in sport
  14. snap — to click
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fine — all right
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rock — to move gently

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