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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. land — a country
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mug — a cup
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mug — a face
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. land — ground
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fork — to eat with

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