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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: clip · pitcher · firm · plane · scale · can · prune · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — in sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. clip — to cut
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — a video
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — of the year
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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