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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: row · jam · wave · kid · mug · prune · scale · track

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — child
  3. scale — size or range
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — to rob
  10. scale — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. row — a line
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — a path
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — a face
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kid — to tease
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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