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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: scale · trunk · dip · spring · mug · prune · pitch · rule

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — the season
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — of water
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spring — a coil

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