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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 116 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: mark · pound · prune · rest · calf · bass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — low music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rest — a break
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — a weight

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