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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · scale · temple · court · prune · race

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — the arms race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — of law
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — of a king
  16. saw — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — side of the head

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