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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. club — for golf
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fall — the season
  24. foot — a measure

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