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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: calf · game · track · lean · squash · charge · cue · prune

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. track — a path
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — wild animals
  14. squash — to crush
  15. game — a match
  16. cue — a signal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a hint
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. calf — a young animal

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