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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: track · ground · craft · prune · jam · can · bore · saw

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. track — to keep track
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. craft — boats
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bore — gave birth

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