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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: ruler · chair · jam · lash · prune · calf · pop · racket

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pop — soda
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — for measuring

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