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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: mark · season · drill · scale · game · lean · prune · mate

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — army training
  3. prune — to trim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — the tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mate — a friend
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lean — thin
  23. season — in sport
  24. lean — to bend

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