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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: track · prune · swing · can · season · jam · hide · last

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. can — a tin
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — final
  6. season — in sport
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — a song
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. last — finally
  19. track — a path
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — to keep track
  24. can — a tin

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