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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: fan · perch · roll · dip · spell · prune · jam · coach

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — a short time
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — letters
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. dip — to sink
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a list

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