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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: cap · land · ball · jam · rock · march · squash · prune

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — the month
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — music
  9. march — music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ball — a dance
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — to come down
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ball — a great time
  19. land — a country
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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