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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: tear · bay · kick · prune · scale · sharp · roll · foot

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. roll — a list
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. sharp — clever
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. foot — a measure
  24. sharp — with an edge

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