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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 · racket · pop · fine · pitcher · wake · patient · scale

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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