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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: firm · jam · date · bore · nail · snap · perch · prune

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. perch — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — a company
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to click
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to drill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. firm — steady

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