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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — a group
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. squash — to crush
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — for digging
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. prune — the fruit

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