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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: wake · track · prune · bowl · sharp · press · mark · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. press — newspapers
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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