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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: bay · last · land · jam · club · prune · bank · foot

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. club — a group
  6. last — to go on
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — final
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. land — ground
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — for golf
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — finally

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