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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: jam · prune · staff · stock · tear · bass · current · leaves

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tear — to rip
  5. current — electric
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — employees
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — happening now
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. current — of water
  23. stock — shares
  24. jam — a tight spot

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