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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · scale · file · kid · prune · bank · ball · press

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — newspapers
  15. file — a document
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — a publisher

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