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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
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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 · wake · last · prune · bear · current · kid · capital

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — to trim
  9. capital — money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — to go on
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — electric
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. last — final
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. capital — a city
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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