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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — of the year
  4. firm — decided
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. season — in sport
  9. club — a group
  10. field — farmland
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — a subject

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