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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 · present · object · mug · saw · season · prune · jam

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — there
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. object — an aim
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. present — the time now
  10. object — to protest
  11. present — a gift
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. object — a thing
  24. saw — the tool

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