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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 · root · drill · hide · racket · prune · wave · deal

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — the cause
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — to handle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. scale — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — a big deal

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