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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.

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: scale · prune · content · perch · deal · lean · file · pop

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a line of people
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — soda
  13. scale — in music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a document
  20. lean — thin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — the fruit

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