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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: club · prune · season · foot · fine · bark · jam · stock

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — a group
  10. stock — goods
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. fine — high quality
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — shares
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. season — of the year
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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