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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: scale · race · hide · prune · perch · pound · rush · season

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. race — a contest
  2. rush — hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — the fish
  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