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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · scale · pitcher · prune · wave · stand

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. 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. stand — for spectators
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of law
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. scale — size or range
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — to bear
  12. court — for sport
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. 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