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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 · cabinet · content · stand · rock · scale · rash · shower

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — a stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — hasty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rash — a series
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. content — the amount
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — in music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — size or range
  24. content — happy

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