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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.

Words on the sheet
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: track · roll · mug · pound · wind · fine · prune · bark

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. roll — a list
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — a weight
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — to keep track
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. track — a song
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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