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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: dip · sharp · toast · prune · scale · rule · racket · bear

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — government
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. dip — to sink
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. toast — bread
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. sharp — exactly

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