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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 · prune · lie · press · bore · suit · pitcher · field

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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 — a tight spot
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. press — newspapers
  6. field — farmland
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — to fit
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. press — to push
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — a subject
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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