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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 · rest · content · rock · leaves · scale · jam · rash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. scale — in music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — hasty
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. content — happy
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. scale — size or range

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