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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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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 · bound · pit · fall · fork · roll · rule · prune

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rule — a law
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fall — the season
  12. bound — obliged
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rule — government
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. roll — a list
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — a garden tool

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