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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — wild animals
  10. club — for dancing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. club — a group
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a match

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