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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. club — a group
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a great time

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