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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: jam · toast · lean · pitcher · bowl · wound · kick · prune

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lean — thin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — a tight spot

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