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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: spell · prune · stand · jam · pop · season · board · staff

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — a stick
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — a committee
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pop — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — to visit
  20. staff — employees
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spell — magic
  23. pop — soda
  24. stand — for spectators

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