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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.

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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: sharp · pound · mate · ball · bark · tube · track · prune

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — a weight
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mate — to breed
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mate — a partner

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