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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: hide · bass · prune · mark · can · scale · pitcher · cap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. scale — in music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mark — a trace
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — size or range

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