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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: squash · bound · prune · safe · lean · current · scale · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. scale — size or range
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — in a race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — of water
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — certain
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. scale — in music
  24. prune — to trim

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