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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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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: snap · rule · shower · prune · pass · ball · scale · deal

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ball — a great time
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. scale — size or range
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — a law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. snap — to click
  15. pass — a permit
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rule — government
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. shower — to wash

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