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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: bear · prune · jam · pitch · band · craft · bay · court

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — to trim
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of a king
  6. band — a music group
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — boats
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. band — a ring
  23. craft — a skill
  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