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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 120 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: mug · net · chip · drill · prune · scale · rest · dip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — in music
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — size or range
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — for catching
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — army training
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rest — a break
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a face
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — after costs
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — to rob
  24. dip — to dunk

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