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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.

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: rest · pitcher · scale · prune · kid · stem · charge · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — to come from
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. kid — to tease
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — child
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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