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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: pitcher · prune · scale · club · swing · rock · leaves · capital

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rock — a stone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — money
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. capital — a city
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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