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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: prune · straw · jam · pit · perch · scale · mate · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. scale — size or range
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mate — a friend

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