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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 120 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: racket · prune · pitch · scale · current · spell · mug · deal

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitch — completely
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — in music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. current — electric
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spell — a short time

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