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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: scale · chip · fine · root · prune · wind · coach · rash

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — of a word
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fine — all right
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — in music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — for weighing

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