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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. row — a line
  3. fall — the season
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — for dancing
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. club — for golf
  16. date — the fruit
  17. row — to paddle
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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