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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: wave · prune · can · bay · jam · club · perch · root

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. can — to be able to
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. club — for golf
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — a group
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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