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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: prune · can · game · sharp · scale · kick · fork · swing

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fork — in a road
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kick — in football
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — music
  24. can — to be able to

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