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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: jam · chip · pop · prune · bear · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pop — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pop — to visit
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. 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