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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: racket · ground · cabinet · staff · prune · tube · scale · jam

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — a stick
  8. scale — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — a position
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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