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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: squash · jam · prune · tube · ground · stand · shower · mouse

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. shower — to wash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ground — the earth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ground — a position
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. jam — in traffic

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