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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — a match
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. shower — rain
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. game — wild animals
  16. swing — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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