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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · cold · scale · content · fork · prune · row · rock

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rock — a stone
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. scale — in music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. content — happy
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cold — an illness
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — a line
  22. plane — a tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — not warm

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