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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: roll · straw · stick · track · jam · prune · net · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — humankind
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. roll — a cake
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — a contest
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — a song
  19. net — after costs
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. prune — the fruit

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