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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 · squash · current · land · jam · bore · track · staff

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — ground
  5. current — of water
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — to come down
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — to drill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. squash — to crush

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