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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: row · land · straw · prune · track · foot · jam · mug

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mug — a face
  14. prune — to trim
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. land — a country
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. row — to paddle
  19. land — to come down
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. track — a song
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mug — a cup
  24. land — ground

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