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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: bass · prune · track · saw · mug · temple · stem · jam

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. track — a path
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mug — a cup
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — low music

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