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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: coach · mine · jam · current · prune · craft · present · date

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — electric
  4. craft — a skill
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — boats
  14. date — the fruit
  15. current — of water
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — a gift
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mine — an explosive

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