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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. track — a path
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — finally
  10. shower — rain
  11. fork — in a road
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. track — a song

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