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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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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: bay · pound · mark · track · charge · prune · club · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a path
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for golf
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. club — a group

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