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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: stick · lean · mouse · scale · band · bay · rock · prune

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lean — thin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a ring
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. band — a music group
  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