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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 · deal · craft · prune · wound · mug · clip · pit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a face
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. craft — boats
  15. clip — to cut
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. deal — to handle
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — a big deal

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