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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: content · jam · toast · pitcher · chest · rule · plane · prune

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chest — of your body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — the amount
  10. rule — a law
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rule — government
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — happy
  19. toast — bread
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. plane — a tool
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — an aircraft

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