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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.

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: jam · content · cabinet · sharp · chair · leaves · bowl · prune

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — a leader
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. content — the amount

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