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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: capital · scale · saw · ball · coach · prune · pound · chip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. scale — size or range
  9. capital — money
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a city
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. scale — in music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chip — to eat

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