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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: kick · can · arm · prune · pound · pass · scale · bear

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. scale — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — size or range
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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