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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: stem · jam · season · prune · swing · rush · fork · charge

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — of the year
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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