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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: scale · spring · jam · prune · file · wake · season · temple

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. file — a tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — size or range
  13. season — in sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spring — a coil
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. file — a line of people
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. file — a document
  24. spring — of water

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