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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · stick · prune · date · land · game · press · vault

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. land — a country
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — ground
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — to come down
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. press — a publisher
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — to push
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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