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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
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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: staff · mine · race · prune · sharp · track · wax · fork

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — in a road
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mine — for digging
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — to keep track
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. race — humankind
  23. track — a path
  24. mine — belonging to me

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