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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — to breed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mate — a friend
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — a group
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. prune — to trim

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