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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 · prune · file · scale · saw · cap · row · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cap — a lid
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. court — for sport
  5. row — to paddle
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — size or range
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — in music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. can — to be able to
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — a line
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — a hat

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