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

Word bank: bay · object · cell · pass · kick · file · prune · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. file — a line of people
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — a phone
  7. object — an aim
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. object — a thing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — in football
  19. cell — in biology
  20. file — a tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. file — a document

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