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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: shower · roll · jam · pitcher · snap · deal · prune · toast

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. shower — rain
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. snap — to click
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. toast — bread
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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