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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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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: mark · track · squash · racket · craft · swing · key · prune

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — in golf
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. track — a song
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — the sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. track — to keep track
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a skill
  23. key — in music
  24. prune — the fruit

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