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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 120 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: club · mug · track · ground · cabinet · racket · prune · rest

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rest — a break
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. ground — a position
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — the earth
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. track — a path
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mug — a face
  24. cabinet — ministers

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