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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: spring · scale · spell · bank · mug · content · prune · leaves

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — a cup
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a face
  12. content — the amount
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — the season
  15. scale — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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