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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 · jam · pit · content · cabinet · face · date · cap

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — the amount
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. face — to confront
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cap — of ice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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