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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 116 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: mark · field · pound · perch · track · prune · rush · fine

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — a weight
  7. track — a song
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a path
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. field — a subject

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