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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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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: prune · mug · leaves · field · club · content · rush · band

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. field — farmland
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — the amount
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. club — a group
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. content — happy
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — for golf
  24. leaves — of a tree

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