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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · cabinet · coach · scale · prune · root · key · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. content — happy
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. key — in music
  10. root — of a word
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — in music
  18. content — the amount
  19. root — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cabinet — ministers

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