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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · kid · wax · plane · ruler · prune · scale · game

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. game — a match
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — to grow
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kid — child
  19. game — wild animals
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. net — in sport
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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