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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: jam · prune · squash · kick · pop · staff · land · mouse

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. land — to come down
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kick — in football
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pop — soda
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — ground

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