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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 120 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: pass · prune · club · ground · rush · tear · stem · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — a position
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. track — a path
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — to come from
  22. club — for golf
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stem — a stem cell

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