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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: prune · roll · rest · jam · cabinet · foot · field · season

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. field — for sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. field — farmland
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a list
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — a subject

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