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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · prune · sharp · leaves · rest · scale · mate · ground

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — the earth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — a position
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — a break

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