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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.

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: club · scale · prune · sharp · tube · cabinet · lean · root

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. club — for dancing
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — thin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — a group
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — size or range
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. club — for golf
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — of a word
  24. scale — in music

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