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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · snap · scale · jam · land · suit · prune · swing

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. scale — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — a country
  5. present — a gift
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — to come down
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. land — ground
  12. swing — to play on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — there
  19. suit — in cards
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. snap — to click
  24. scale — size or range

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