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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: jam · mouse · leaves · bulb · prune · stock · content · degree

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. prune — to trim
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — happy
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — shares

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