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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.

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: prune · spell · track · scale · game · hide · perch · mouse

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. prune — to trim
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — letters
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. prune — to trim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. track — a path
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — a song
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — size or range

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