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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: prune · jam · toast · rash · track · bay · scale · object

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. object — a thing
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a song
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. track — a path
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rash — a series
  14. scale — size or range
  15. object — to protest
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — in music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. object — an aim
  24. toast — the most admired

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