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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. club — for golf
  3. kid — child
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. band — a music group
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spring — a coil
  15. band — a ring
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spell — magic
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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