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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: prune · scale · bound · saw · kid · pop · wake · pass

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. kid — child
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bound — certain
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bound — tied together

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