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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: scale · deal · bark · pitcher · chip · fine · prune · cap

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — a hat
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — in music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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