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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: hand · prune · dip · kick · bank · coach · net · scale

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — for catching
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — help
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — with a leg

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