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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: track · jam · season · kick · pit · stand · prune · arm

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — a song
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stand — to bear
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pit — in a race
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — in football

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