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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · prune · band · bowl · hide · track

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — crushed
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a path
  8. ground — the earth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ground — a position
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song

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