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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
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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: bat · scale · prune · mouse · court · track · foot · snap

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. scale — size or range
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — in music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. track — a song
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. track — a path
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of law
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. foot — a measure

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