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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: prune · row · temple · toast · content · pop · march · scale

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. toast — bread
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. content — happy
  7. scale — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — to visit
  11. row — a line
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. scale — size or range
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — the amount
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — music
  24. prune — to trim

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