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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 · pound · firm · prune · racket · scale · wave · squash

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — a company
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. squash — the sport
  12. firm — steady
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — decided
  24. wave — of the sea

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