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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: bear · prune · bowl · jam · lean · row · pit · plane

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — thin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. row — a line

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