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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · straw · racket · pitcher · chair · shower · jam · prune

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chair — a leader
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. shower — to wash
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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