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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: nail · track · prune · capital · pitcher · chair · straw · jam

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chair — a leader
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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