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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · prune · track · pitch · leaves · clip · wake · toast

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — a song
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. clip — a video
  6. wake — a trail
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — completely
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. toast — bread
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — to crush
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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