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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.

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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: can · rush · face · cap · scale · prune · board · ground

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. face — to confront
  3. ground — the earth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — to get on
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — a position
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — a hat
  22. face — to point toward
  23. scale — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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