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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: cue · capital · date · craft · present · arm · prune · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — there
  4. capital — a city
  5. scale — size or range
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. scale — in music
  12. present — a gift
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a skill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — a hint
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — the time now
  24. capital — money

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