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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: pitcher · sharp · arm · charge · pop · mug · track · prune

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mug — a face
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. charge — in control
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — to rob
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pop — music
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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