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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · fork · bowl · current · prune · march · track · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — a path
  4. march — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. track — to keep track
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. current — electric
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. track — a song
  24. bowl — to roll

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