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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: nail · mine · scale · sharp · net · ball · prune · suit

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. ball — a great time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — in music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. net — for catching
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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