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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. net — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. net — for catching
  22. rush — hurry
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bear — the animal

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