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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 · deal · mate · bowl · prune · bulb · fall · saw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fall — the season
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — a dish

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