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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: bound · calf · board · prune · rush · pitch · wound · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a song
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. calf — a young animal

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