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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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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: wound · drill · pit · scale · shower · staff · firm · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — decided
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — rain
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. drill — a practice
  10. firm — a company
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — steady
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. drill — army training
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — in music
  24. staff — a stick

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