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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. club — for golf
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a word
  6. club — for dancing
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — to keep track
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. track — a song
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to click
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. tube — the underground
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — of a plant
  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