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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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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: bay · prune · drill · nail · jam · suit · scale · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. scale — in music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. season — in sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. drill — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. suit — clothes

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