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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 116 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 · mug · drill · ball · lash · craft · bass · prune

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — in music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ball — a dance
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a great time
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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