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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 116 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: file · scale · club · nail · trunk · prune · suit · land

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — for dancing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. file — a line of people
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a tool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. suit — clothes
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. land — ground
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — to fit

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