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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: row · prune · bulb · scale · game · mine · wave · saw

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — size or range
  13. game — a match
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. row — a line
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wave — with your hand

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