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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: roll · pop · prune · swing · mine · staff · dip · jam

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — to sink
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — soda
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. roll — a list
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mine — for digging

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