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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: prune · fall · track · arm · roll · racket · bear · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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