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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: scale · pit · sharp · craft · kid · root · prune · lash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. pit — in a race
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. root — of a word
  18. craft — boats
  19. root — the cause
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — in music
  24. prune — to trim

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