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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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — for golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. swing — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. club — a group
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — to eat with

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