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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: cell · stand · ball · chest · prune · cap · jam · mark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mark — a grade
  18. prune — to trim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stand — on your feet

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