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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: track · mate · ball · fan · roll · prune · mark · lash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a partner
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. roll — a list
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mate — to breed

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