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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: foot · clip · scale · firm · content · pop · jam · prune

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. clip — a video
  6. firm — steady
  7. content — the amount
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pop — music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pop — to visit
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. firm — a company
  21. content — happy
  22. clip — for paper
  23. firm — decided
  24. jam — a tight spot

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