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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 · arm · key · kid · last · cabinet · calf · scale

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — to tease
  6. key — in music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — to go on
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. last — final
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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