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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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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: mark · prune · snap · ground · jam · chest · fan · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chest — a box
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mark — a grade
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. club — a group
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — for dancing
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. chest — of your body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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