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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: present · staff · jam · pound · tube · prune · snap · pitcher

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pound — a weight
  5. present — there
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. staff — a stick
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. snap — to click
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — the time now
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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