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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hand — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. club — for golf
  13. suit — to fit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chair — a leader
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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