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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: band · prune · club · ball · fork · rule · track · saw

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — in a road
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rule — a law
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a music group
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. track — a song
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — a path
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — government

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