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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · scale · mine · mug · capital · pass · date · bowl

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pass — a permit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. capital — money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mug — a cup
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a city
  23. mine — for digging
  24. scale — in music

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