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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 · ball · club · net · press · jam · rash · wax

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. club — a group
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. club — for dancing
  14. net — for catching
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — for golf
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — to push
  19. ball — a dance
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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