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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: pop · fine · wound · rush · track · stick · club · bear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. 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. club — for dancing
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a path
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — a group
  16. pop — music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — soda
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. 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