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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 · date · mark · safe · band · season · tear · prune

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tear — to rip
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mark — a trace
  16. date — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. band — a music group
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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