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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 · land · field · foot · jam · temple · roll · bear

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — ground
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — a country
  12. roll — a list
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — farmland
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. field — for sport

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