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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. club — a group
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. club — for dancing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — for golf
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — a strongbox

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