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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: scale · prune · date · deal · press · plane · field · face

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. field — a subject
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. face — to confront
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. press — to push
  8. face — to point toward
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. field — for sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. face — part of the head
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — farmland
  16. press — a publisher
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — a tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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