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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: foot · prune · scale · cue · pit · chest · mouse · current

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — in a race
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chest — of your body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — a measure

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