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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: lean · racket · file · prune · pound · pass · cap · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a path
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — a weight
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. file — a tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — thin
  18. track — a song
  19. file — a document
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. racket — a loud noise

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