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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: jam · net · fan · prune · tear · nail · fine · bulb

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. net — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fine — all right
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bulb — for light

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