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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: net · bulb · prune · chest · suit · saw · scale · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — the tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — a box
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — to fit
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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