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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: fall · ball · track · pound · chair · prune · kid · can

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kid — child
  14. track — a path
  15. fall — the season
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. pound — a weight

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