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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: jam · press · present · stock · prune · fine · season · bear

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fine — all right
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. present — there
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — to push
  11. present — the time now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — in sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. fine — high quality
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — to trim

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