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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: staff · foot · race · leaves · spell · deal · prune · scale

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — a measure
  14. staff — employees
  15. race — the arms race
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. race — a contest
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. race — humankind

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