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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: scale · tear · plane · mouse · wave · ball · pitcher · prune

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. scale — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tear — from crying
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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