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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: wake · spring · jam · key · suit · prune · present · can

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. suit — in cards
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — to be able to
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — to fit

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