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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: rash · stick · prune · sharp · straw · suit · track · pit

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a path
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rash — a series
  24. suit — to fit

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