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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: jam · rule · staff · scale · bulb · pitcher · prune · ball

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a dance
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rule — a law
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — in music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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