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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: saw · rash · snap · arm · temple · prune · pitch · scale

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — completely
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. prune — to trim

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