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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: content · roll · prune · squash · face · jam · pit · net

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pit — in a race
  6. face — to confront
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. squash — the sport
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. net — after costs
  22. pit — a hole
  23. content — happy
  24. net — for catching

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