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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. club — a group
  6. march — music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for golf
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — completely
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rock — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. club — for dancing
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. march — the month

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