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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: staff · object · trunk · prune · coach · tear · tube · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — an aim
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — to protest
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — a stick
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tear — from crying

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