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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: leaves · current · prune · roll · jam · capital · pitch · pit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. roll — a list
  10. capital — money
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — in a race
  18. current — electric
  19. capital — a city
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pit — a hole
  23. jam — in traffic
  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