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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · cell · cap · can · prune · scale · last · mate

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cap — a lid
  10. last — to go on
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fine — all right
  15. last — finally
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mate — a friend
  23. last — final
  24. scale — in music

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