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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: prune · game · fan · stick · hide · rock · land · track

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — to come down
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. land — ground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — to trim
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — to keep track

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