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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: pop · lean · jam · board · prune · pitch · scale · plane

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — soda
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — music
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitch — a sports field

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