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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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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: bear · prune · racket · last · pound · bay · wake · rash

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — to go on
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — a trail
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. last — final
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. racket — for tennis

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