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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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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: safe · jam · lean · foot · pop · bank · season · prune

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — thin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — of a river
  17. foot — a measure
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. foot — part of the body

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