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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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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: nail · saw · chair · firm · prune · current · jam · deal

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — steady
  4. chair — a leader
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. firm — decided
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. firm — a company
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. current — electric
  24. jam — in traffic

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