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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 · mouse · staff · fall · game · prune · coach · bound

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — the season
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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