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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 124 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. branch — a division
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — help
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — a group
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cue — a hint
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for golf

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