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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · prune · chair · bay · jam · bowl · plane · court

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. march — music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. march — the month
  9. court — of a king
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. court — of law
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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