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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
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: mug · march · scale · prune · cabinet · stick · fork · plane

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — the month
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a cup

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