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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: march · scale · ball · foot · prune · fall · dip · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. march — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — size or range
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — a sauce

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