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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cabinet · deal · bass · scale · bear · key · present · prune

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — to handle
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — size or range
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — the animal

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