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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 116 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 · object · prune · scale · fall · bowl · bat · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. object — an aim
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fall — the season
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. object — a thing

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