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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 120 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: scale · prune · pop · cap · season · patient · stock · arm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — shares
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — to visit
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. scale — size or range
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — to add flavour

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