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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
468
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 · season · root · content · jam · net · pitch · swing

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. season — of the year
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — completely
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — in golf
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — the amount
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. content — happy

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