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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: jam · bank · present · cell · stick · firm · date · prune

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — steady
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — there
  7. firm — a company
  8. prune — to trim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bank — of a river
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. date — the fruit
  18. firm — decided
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — in biology
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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