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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: swing · mug · jam · prune · stand · roll · cap · land

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cap — a hat
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. swing — music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — a country
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. land — to come down
  18. roll — a list
  19. swing — to play on
  20. land — ground
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stand — to bear

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