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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: prune · arm · wake · ball · race · track · cabinet · kick

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. race — a contest
  5. track — a path
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. track — a song
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ball — a great time
  16. race — humankind
  17. kick — in football
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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