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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: game · can · scale · prune · leaves · deal · shower · cap

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — a match
  7. scale — in music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cap — a lid
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cap — a hat

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