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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 · fall · club · field · prune · present · cue · rash

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — the time now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — there
  8. field — for sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. present — a gift
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cue — a signal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. field — a subject
  18. club — a group
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for golf
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cue — for pool

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