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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: press · craft · scale · plane · prune · bear · coach · hand

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. craft — boats
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. craft — a skill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — to push
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. plane — a tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. scale — size or range

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