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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: prune · coach · drill · jam · firm · rush · stock · wax

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — a company
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — decided
  8. stock — goods
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. drill — army training
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — to hurry

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