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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 · perch · can · patient · prune · straw · racket · club

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — to trim
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for dancing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. jam — in traffic

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