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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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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: plane · mouse · rock · squash · patient · current · prune · scale

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — happening now
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. plane — an aircraft

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