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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: prune · scale · key · craft · rash · spring · stem · racket

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — a series
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — a coil
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — to come from
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. scale — in music
  24. craft — a skill

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