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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 · ruler · scale · cabinet · toast · mouse · jam · object

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. toast — bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — an aim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. object — a thing
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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