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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: sharp · dip · march · patient · hide · pop · prune · scale

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pop — music
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — soda

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