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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pit · prune · lean · safe · roll · game · capital

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. roll — a list
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pit — a hole
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. roll — a cake
  10. capital — a city
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lean — to bend
  20. game — wild animals
  21. capital — money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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