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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.

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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: season · prune · pass · wound · firm · mouse · object · scale

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — in music
  10. object — an aim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — a thing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. firm — steady
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. season — in sport

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