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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — a division
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — a group
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for golf
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — of ice
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a tree

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