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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 120 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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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: prune · bowl · foot · fall · stick · swing · scale · face

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — in golf
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to confront
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. swing — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — part of the head
  23. swing — to play on
  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