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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: leaves · jam · staff · foot · pass · net · prune · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. net — in sport
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — a permit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — after costs
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — for catching
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. staff — a stick
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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