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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: racket · prune · rush · file · jam · bay · pop · pit

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pit — in a race
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — music
  11. file — a tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a document
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pit — a hole
  24. prune — the fruit

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