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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: track · prune · arm · swing · rash · band · can · foot

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. band — a ring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — a measure
  12. swing — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — a path

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